Shen Ynying
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Shen Ynying, (1624-1660), was a female general commander in the imperial army of the Ming dynasty in 17th century China.
Shen Ynying was the daughter of the empirial General Shen Zhixu, and as a child, she was interested in the martial arts and read many books on this subjects. She also accompanied her father on his missions, and she was married to a man of the army as well.
In 1643, her father was killed in battle, and Shen Ynying took his place in command during the fight and lead the soldiers to victory. In recognition of this, she was offered to inherit her fathers position, and she accepted.
She prowed great military skill on her fight to protect the Ming dynasty against the armys of both the Manchurian Qing dynasty and Gao Guiying, the other great female commander of the time, on whos oppossied side she whas, but she could not prevent the conquest of Beijing in 1644 and the death of the last Ming emperor, and when her husband was killed in battle the same year, one year after her father, she lost her will to fight of the sorrow and withdrew to a private life. She founded a school where she educated girls in both academical sciences and the martial acts.
Shen Ynying died in 1660, one year before the Manchurian Qing dynasty invaded also the South of China.
